MATSUDO, Japan—In pursuit of streamlining sample
prep
workflows, Roche and Precision System Science Co. Ltd. (PSS) have signed an
exclusive agreement for the development
and manufacture of a fully automated
emulsion PCR instrument for Roche's portfolio of next-generation sequencing
platforms. The instrument will
support Roche's GS Junior and GS FLX+ systems in
addition to its next-generation sequencing platform currently in development.
No details were
disclosed as to the financial terms of the deal.

"This partnership aims to address one of the key
needs of
sequencing customers. The automated solution will not only improve the
efficiency of laboratory workflows, but also increase the
reproducibility of
results by eliminating manual workload," said Dan Zabrowski, head of Roche
Applied Science, in a press release. "This development
program has made great
progress over the last year, and we are looking forward to working with PSS
because they offer outstanding expertise and have a
strong track record in
developing fully automated solutions."

According to Thomas Schinecker,
head of Roche Sequencing
Solutions, this agreement builds on a "long-term reciprocal relationship"
between the two companies, who began collaborating
on automated DNA extraction
15 years ago. Roche and PSS successfully developed and marketed nucleic acid
purification products as a result of that
agreement. In addition, Schinecker
notes, "PSS has developed Roche's MagNA Pure LC 2.0 System and MagNA Pure
Compact System, which are flexible
nucleic acid isolation and purification
platforms that utilize the PSS proven 'Magtration technology.'"

"PSS has been very instrumental in establishing themselves
as experts in a niche market of new automation system concepts,"
says
Schinecker. "PSS manufactures systems that automate sample preparation process
before gene, protein or immunological analysis—such as fully
automated DNA
extractor, mainly based on the PSS' patented 'Magtration technology'—and it
supplies those systems/instruments to worldwide markets.
In addition, PSS also
produces the reagents and the plastic consumables used in these automated
systems."

At present, manual upfront preparation of genomic samples is
time-consuming and complicated, but the new instrument will serve
to automate
the entire emulsion PCR process. By streamlining the workflow, the hands-on
time required will drop from several hours to only a few
minutes.

Hideki Tanaka, general manager of Investor Relations and the President's Office at PSS, notes that it is
important that PCR and next-generation sequencing continue to improve, as the technologies contribute "very much for early drug discovery or tailor-made
diagnostic in the gene-related field by improving the quality and quantity for sequencing." Tanaka says the system improvement is expected to have
particular impact in areas such as pharmacogenomics study or companion diagnostics for cancer.

In addition
to the instrument itself, PSS will also be
developing and manufacturing the accompanying consumables, vessels and tips.
The product will enable
communication with a laboratory network or LIMS "to
download sample input data directly into the Automation Instrument and upload
subsequent run
information," says Schinecker, and will have features such as a
touch screen, integrated PC, solid/liquid waste management system and RFID
readers for
identification of reagents and consumables. Roche will oversee the
development process and provide PSS with feedback.

The instrument, says Schinecker, will fully automate the
entirety of the emulsion PCR process, including emulsion generation,
amplification, emulsion breaking, bead enrichment and "the annealing of the
sequencing primers on a PSS-developed liquid-handling robot." By
eliminating
the manual workload, reproducibility of results will increase as the chance for
human error or variation decreases.

"To obtain ready-to-sequence DNA beads with copies of
clonally amplified DNA, users will only have to place
reagents such as capture
beads and primers along with the prepared DNA library and select the desired
platform," he explains.

"We are delighted that PSS and Roche are expanding their
long-standing relationship in automated DNA extraction to
the challenging field
of DNA sequencing," Hideji Tajima, president of PSS, said in a statement.
"Preparing samples for sequencing is a complex,
high-skill process that
continues to hamper broader use of the technology. We believe that together,
PSS and Roche will be able to develop an automated
instrument that helps
overcome this obstacle and promote greater use of advanced sequencing systems."